Paper carton folding apparatus



April 2, 1963 A. REISMAN PAPER CARTON FOLDING APPARATUS Filed April 27,1961 PIC-3.2

INVENTOR. ALBERT REISMAN Mum ATTORNEY d rates This invention relates topaper carton folding apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatusfor automatically manipulating a partition wall in a carton prior to thestep of filling the carton with material.

Heretofore, it has been conventional in the art to manually place apartition wall in a carton designed to have a plurality of goodsseparated from one another by a partition. The manual positioning ofsuch a partition wall is time consuming, expensive, and affects theproduction rate of filling cartons which material. I have discoveredthat the use of separate partitions can be eliminated by making apartition integral at one end with a side wall of the carton. Thepresent invention is directed to an apparatus which automaticallymanipulates the partition wall out of the plane of the side wall of thecarton and locates the same in a position extending between the sidewalls of the carton.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatuswhich eliminates the necessity for manually placing partition walls in acarton.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novelapparatus for manipulating a partition wall out of the plane of a sidewall of a carton and disposing the same in a position extending betweenthe side walls of the carton.

t is another object of the present invention to provide a novelapparatus which is capable of cooperating with cartons as they proceedalong a conveyor belt so as to automatically provide the cartons with apartition wall.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus which is simple and economical while capable of materiallyreducing the cost of a partition wall for a carton and materiallyincreasing the rate at which such cartons may be filled with material.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown. ,0

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective view of a box folding apparatuscontaining the present invention.

FiGURE 2 is an elevational view of the rotatable shaft and finger of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view showing the structural interrelationshipbetween the manipulating finger of the present invention and oneposition of a carton being conveyed past the finger.

FIGURE 4 is a partial plan view similar to FIGURE 3 showing anotherposition of the carton and the manner in which the finger cooperatestherewith.

FIGURE 5 is a partial plan view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4 showinganother position of the carton and the manner in which the fingercooperates therewith.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the carton adapted to cooperate withthe finger as shown in FIGURES 3-5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a carton folding apparatusdesignated generally as 10.

The apparatus 10 includes a housing 12 within which is disposed meansfor folding blanks into a carton of the type shown in FIGURE 6. Suchmeans forms no part of the present invention and therefore need not beshown or described in detail.

The housing 12 is provided with an outlet aperture 14 Patented Apr. 2,1953 in an end wall thereof. A conveyor means is provided in the housing12 between upright guide plates 16 and 18 mounted on a floor plate 19.The conveyor means includes runner plates 20 and 22 between which isdisposed an endless chain 24. The endless chain 24 extends around asprocket 25 rotatably supported below the fioor plate 19. Cartons foldedby the folding means within the housing 12 are conveyed between theguide plates 16 and 13 toward the aperture 14 by frictional engagementbetween the bottom wall on the carton and the chain 24.

A means 26 is provided for manipulating a partition wall on the cartonjust prior to the discharge of the carton through the outlet aperture14. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 2, such means includes a O-shapedbearing block fixedly secured to the upper surface of the floor plate19. The bearing block 28 is provided with aligned apertures 39 and 32.in its horizontally disposed arms. An upright shaft 34 is rotatablysupported within the apertures 31 and 32.

A finger 36 is adjustably secured to the shaft 34 at a pointintermediate the arms on the C-shaped bearing block As shown moreclearly in FIGURES 3-5, the end of the finger 36 remote from the shaft34 is semicircular in plan view. The finger 36 extends through anaperture 38 in the guide plate 16.

The uppermost end of the shaft 34 is provided with e"- ternal threads49. A lock nut 42 is threadingly engaged with the threads 5 3. A torsionspring 44 extends between the bearing block 23 and the lock nut 42. Asshown more clearly in FiGURE 2, one end of the spring 2-4 is fixedlysecured to the lock nut 42 and the other end of the spring 44 is fixedlysecured to the bearing block 28.

The carton with which the finger 36 is adapted to cooperate is shownmore clearly in FIGURE 6 and is designated generally as 45. A side Wallof the carton 46 is provided with a U-shaped slit. A score line 59extends across the free ends of the U-shaped slit at a point equidistantfrom the ends of the carton 46.

The remaining elements not yet specifically described are moreconveniently explained in conjunction with the manner in which thepresent invention is utilized.

As the cartons 46 are folded by a folding means within the housing .12,such cartons are conveyed to the outlet aperture 14 between the guideplates 16 and T. by the chain 24. Suitable positioning means (not shown)may be provided to assure that the cartons 46 are juxtaposed to theguide plate 18 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3. As the carton 46approaches the end of the guide plates 16 and 18, the finger 36 is inthe position shown in FIGURE 3.

As the carton 46 passes by the finger 36, the rounded end of the fingerpresses against the side wall 51 of the carton 46. Since the side wall51 is provided with a u shaped slit, the finger 36 readily pushes thepartition wall 48 inwardly as shown more clearly in FIGURE 4. As thepartition wall 48 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 4, thepartition wall 43 pivots about the score line 59.

As the carton 46 continues in its movement past the finger 36, theportion of the wall 51 adjacent the score line 50 contacts the fingerand rotates the same against the bias of the spring 4-4. That is, thefinger 36 rotates in a clockwise direction in FiGURES 4 and 5 until thefinger assumes the position shown in FIGURE 5. It will be understoodthat the spring 44 is weak enough so that the wall 51 adjacent the scoreline St} is not torn by contact with the finger 36.

As the carton 46 continues to move under the influence of the chain 24,the rounded end of the finger 36 presses against the side wall 51 untilthe finger 36 clears the end 52 of the carton 46. Thereafter, the finger36 rotates in 3 a counter clockwise direction to the position shown inFIGURE 3 due to the bias of the torsion spring 44.

As shown more clearly in FIGURES 4 and 5, the movement of the partition"wall 48 out ofthe planeof'th'e'side wall 51 results in the provision ofa rectangular aperture 54 having dimensions corresponding with thedimensions of the partition wall 48. Itwill be noted that the length ofthe partition wall 48 corresponds to the distance between the side wallsof the carton 46. Suficient details of th'ebox 46 havebeen disclosed soas to understandthe presentinventiom A more detailed disclosure of. thecarton 46 is not presented since the same forms a:basis for a separatepatent application.

It will be noted that the runner plates 20- and 22 extendbeyond the endwall of thehousing 12. As-the cartons 46 pass. out of the influence ofthe chain 24, the car tons46are deposited on an endless belt 56 havingguide plates 58and 6t) extending therealong. The endless belt 56conveysthe cartons 46 in the direction of the arrow 62 which isperpendicular to the direction in which the cartons 46 were movingwh'enunder. the influence of-the chain 24. As the cartons 46 are conveyed inthe direction of the'arrows'62 by the endless'belt 56, material such aspretzels 'are disposed on each side of thepartition wall48. Thus, thecartons 46 arrive at the station where they are filled with materialwith the partition wall 48 automatically disposedas shownin-FIGURE 5.Therefore, the cost and necessity for separate manually insertablepartition walls have been eliminated while increasing the. productionrate at'which-the'cartons may be filled.

It will be understood that the cartons 46 are made from a'semi-stifipaper and that the blanks for theicartons 46 It will berobvious thatthefingen36lies'in'the same plane i made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim: 1. A carton folding apparatus comprising. a conveyor means forconveying assembledcartons, guide plates on. opposite sides of saidconveyor means, a rotatable shaft.

mountedadjace'nt [to one offsaid guide plates, said one guide platehavingan aperture therethrough, a fin gerlextending from said shaftthrough said aperture to a point.

where-the end 'offsaid fingeris capable of engaging a side wall of acarton moving past said shaft under the influence of said conveyormeans, and spring means biasing said shaft to a position where saidfinger is juxtaposed to an edge of said aperture, with'the extent ofrotation of said shaft and finger being limited by the. length of saidapermm.

2; A carton foldingzapparatus in accordance'with claim 1 wherein saidspring means is atorsion spring surrounding said shaft, and meansinterconnecting said finger and said shaft so that the position of saidfinger alongsaid shaft is selectively positionable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,340,835 Malhoit Feb. 1, 1944 2,687,068-

Strazala Aug, 24, 1954

1. A CARTON FOLDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CONVEYINGASSEMBLED CARTONS, GUIDE PLATES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CONVEYORMEANS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT MOUNTED ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID GUIDE PLATES,SAID ONE GUIDE PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH, A FINGER EXTENDINGFROM SAID SHAFT THROUGH SAID APERTURE TO A POINT WHERE THE END OF SAIDFINGER IS CAPABLE OF ENGAGING A SIDE WALL OF A CARTON MOVING PAST SAIDSHAFT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, AND SPRING MEANSBIASING SAID SHAFT TO A POSITION WHERE SAID FINGER IS JUXTAPOSED TO ANEDGE OF SAID APERTURE, WITH THE EXTENT OF ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT ANDFINGER BEING LIMITED BY THE LENGTH OF SAID APERTURE.